A data-packet-network (DPN) is a system of connected computer nodes that are able to share and serve data. A user operating one of the connected nodes on such a network is generally able to share data with and retrieve data from any of the other data processing and serving nodes connected to the same or to another connected network.
The largest scale example of a DPN is the well-known Internet network. The Internet network comprises a plurality of connected networks and sub-networks and is, geographically speaking, the largest publicly available DPN in existence. Any person with an Internet-capable appliance and a telephone line may connect to the Internet using a dial-up technique that employs the dialing services of a computer modem, which may be an external device or an internal “soft” modem implementation.
The largest body of users that routinely access the Internet do so using a dial-up/modem method. An Internet service provider (ISP) typically provides the actual connection between a user's Internet appliance and the Internet. The basic process starts with a user initiating Internet connection software installed on his or her Internet appliance. The connection software has one or more Internet access telephone numbers, typically made available by the ISP, configured therein for the purpose of attaining network access through a normal telephone line.
Generally speaking, there is one or at most a few local telephone-access numbers provided by an ISP for most small to medium-size municipal locations. However, a host of other available access numbers, which represent long distance numbers for a given user, may be made available as a list of possible ISP numbers that may be used and configured into connection software. As a matter of priority, a user will configure a local number or numbers into Internet connection software as first and second numbers to use when attempting to connect. It is often an experience of a user that all local access-numbers for his or her Internet service are notoriously busy at certain periods of each day. This problem is generally caused by a limited number of modems at a local ISP being used by a large pool of users.
In some cases, telephony limitations in capacities of local switches in the local telephone network may contribute to the problem of attempting to connect to a local ISP. This may be the case if there are a large number of individuals continually re-trying busy ISP numbers. This effect acts as a virtual pool or queue of callers with only one successfully connecting when one connected user drops off and a modem becomes available.
An alternative to waiting for a local ISP access number to become available is to use a back-up number to another ISP location. Often, these numbers are long distance numbers. A common situation that occurs for many users operating in medium to small municipalities, or from rural areas, is that the local numbers are very often busy while back-up long distance numbers offer more assured access probability. This is especially true when the back-up number is to an ISP located in a more metropolitan area having better infrastructure.
Some small ISPs are local only to a particular community and do not have numbers available for other ISP access locations. However, most large providers offer many numbers that connect to a plurality of regional ISP locations. A user forced to use a long distance backup number will generally limit his or her Internet activity because of the incurred charges for long distance access. This can be very frustrating for a user that lives in a location wherein local numbers are busy more often than not.
What is clearly needed is a method and apparatus that enables automated transfer of a WAN-connected client from a low priority access number to a higher priority access number while the client is still in session. Such a method and apparatus would enable a client to start a session using a low priority number (backup) and be reasonably assured that he or she will soon be switched to a higher priority number.